If you were watching The Game Awards in December, you already know the vibe was electric. Or maybe you just saw the clips on TikTok the next morning. Either way, the big question has been settled. Astro Bot officially won 2024 Game of the Year.
It’s kind of a wild result if you think about it. We had these massive, hundred-hour RPGs like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Metaphor: ReFantazio in the running. Then you had the cultural phenomenon that was Black Myth: Wukong. But in the end, a little robot jumping around in a PS5 celebration took the top trophy. Honestly, it’s a win for "fun" over "scope."
Team Asobi really pulled off something special here. People initially dismissed it as just a tech demo or a cute platformer, but the level of polish is basically unmatched. It feels like playing a Nintendo game on Sony hardware.
Why Astro Bot Took the Crown
There’s a specific reason why who won 2024 game of the year mattered so much this time around. The competition was split. Hard. You had a massive voting block that wanted Black Myth: Wukong to win because of its historical impact as the first true Chinese AAA breakout. Then you had the hardcore RPG fans torn between Metaphor and Rebirth.
Because those massive titles sort of cannibalized each other’s votes, Astro Bot emerged as the consensus pick. It was the one game almost every critic and fan could agree was "perfect," even if it wasn't their personal #1.
It didn't just win the big one, either. The game walked away with:
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- Best Game Direction
- Best Action/Adventure Game
- Best Family Game
It’s rare to see a platformer dominate like this. Usually, the "serious" narrative-driven games take the stage, but 2024 was a year where people just wanted to feel like a kid again.
The DLC Controversy: Shadow of the Erdtree
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was nominated for Game of the Year. This caused a massive stir online. Like, massive.
Some people were livid. They argued that a DLC—even one as big as Shadow of the Erdtree—shouldn't be allowed to compete against full, standalone releases. The Game Awards actually had to clarify their rules right before the show, stating that expansions and remakes are eligible if the creative work is significant enough.
It didn't win the top spot, but it did snag Best RPG. That feels like a fair compromise for most. It acknowledged that the Land of Shadow was better than most full games released this year, without letting a "sequel-ish" expansion take the ultimate GOTY title away from brand-new IPs or full sequels.
What Happened to the Other Favorites?
If you were rooting for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, you probably feel a bit snubbed. It was the highest-rated game on Metacritic for most of the year. It did win Best Score and Music, which... duh. That soundtrack is legendary. But it missed out on the big categories, likely because it’s the middle chapter of a trilogy. Critics sometimes struggle to give GOTY to a game that doesn't have a "real" ending.
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Then there’s Balatro.
The poker roguelike that took over everyone’s lives. It won Best Independent Game and Best Mobile Game. Seeing a game made by basically one person (LocalThunk) standing next to these $100 million productions was the highlight of the night for many. It proved you don't need a massive budget to be part of the conversation.
A Different Story at the Golden Joysticks
It is worth noting that the "Game of the Year" title varies depending on who you ask. While Astro Bot won at The Game Awards (which is the "Oscars" of gaming), the Golden Joystick Awards went a different way.
At the Joysticks, which are primarily voted on by the public, Black Myth: Wukong won Ultimate Game of the Year.
This shows a pretty clear divide between the "critics' choice" and the "people's choice." Wukong was a literal juggernaut in terms of player count and sales. For millions of players, that was their definitive 2024 experience.
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The Complete Winner's List (Key Categories)
If you missed the broadcast, here is how the rest of the night shook out. It wasn't just about the big trophy; some smaller games got some much-needed spotlight.
- Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Atlus is on a roll lately).
- Best Art Direction: Metaphor: ReFantazio.
- Best Action Game: Black Myth: Wukong.
- Best Ongoing Game: Helldivers 2 (Despite the PlayStation Network account controversy earlier in the year).
- Best Community Support: Baldur’s Gate 3 (Yes, they are still winning awards a year later).
- Best Adaptation: Fallout (The Amazon show really nailed it).
- Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto VI.
What This Means for 2025
The 2024 awards season felt like a transition. We are moving away from the era of "only cinematic third-person action games win." We saw a platformer, a card game, and a Chinese action-RPG all standing on the same level.
If you haven't played Astro Bot yet, you're missing out on the best use of the DualSense controller ever made. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. In a world where every game wants 100 hours of your time, that's refreshing.
What you should do now:
If you want to experience the 2024 winners for yourself, start with Astro Bot for pure joy, Balatro if you want an addiction that fits in your pocket, and Black Myth: Wukong if you want to see what the future of high-end graphics looks like. Each of these represents a different "peak" of what gaming achieved this year.